Brann Bronzebeard
High Explorer Brann Bronzebeard is the youngest of the three Bronzebeard brothers, with King Magni Bronzebeard and Muradin Bronzebeard being his elders. Brann was an active member of the Explorers' League, following closely in the footsteps of his brother Muradin. One of the greatest explorers to ever wander the lands of Azeroth, Brann Bronzebeard was recognized and welcomed across the known world. The warm, courageous dwarf had made friends and acquaintances in nearly every charted land – and presumably those uncharted as well. Brann spent many years mapping out the remote corners and hidden nooks of the Eastern Kingdoms for his beloved Explorer's Guild. With the recent discovery of Kalimdor, Brann was one of the first dwarves to tread the unknown paths of the ancients. Biography Brann Bronzebeard was one of the founders of the Explorer's Guild, along with Samul Strangehands. He is one of the greatest explorers, anthropologists, archaeologists, taxonomists, linguists, etc, to ever wander the lands of Azeroth. At different times during his journey, he has traveled with companions including his beloved pet gorilla, Glibb, and his trusty gryphon, Gryphadin. Languages "There are more than a dozen major languages in Azeroth, and there’s little excuse for every explorer not to have at least a passing fluency in all of them." During the First War, Brann learned a bit of Orc in order to help question prisoners of war. By the end of the Second War, he considered himself conversational in the orc tongue. Second War Brann is also a formidable warrior. During the Second War, Brann and his brother Muradin were sent by their elder brother, King Magni, to accompany the Alliance army led by Anduin Lothar as they made their way through Khaz Modan to Blackrock Spire. During the war he had the chance to directly work with Lothar, and once spoke to him about his battle with Medivh. Their knowledge of the terrain and their skill in battle proved invaluable. After Lothar's death, the two followed his lieutenant, Turalyon, in the battle that resulted in the destruction of the Dark Portal. World exploration Shortly after the Third War, Brann began a journey of discovery to explore the world at the behest of his brother Magni and the Explorers' League to map out the Eastern Kingdoms. Eventually he also mapped out Kalimdor and the South Seas. Later, he went to travel through Northrend to discover what had happened to his brother Muradin. During his journey, the celebrated adventurer made his way through the regions of Elwynn Forest and Westfall before filing his last report from the misty jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, and then he went missing. According to his last correspondence, Brann had just uncovered the ruins of an ancient city hidden deep within Stranglethorn when he was beset upon by a band of savage jungle troll headhunters. Presumably, Brann evaded capture, but the only real clue pertaining to his whereabouts came in the form of a vague final sentence: "I resolved to head east…"Journal of Brann Brann apparently was fine, however, and had just explored Zul'Gurub, before he continued his journey in the Eastern Kingdoms heading north. Once he finished his journey, he sent his first major report (which he titled Lands of Conflict) and continued his journey heading to Kalimdor, then through the South Seas, on his way to Northrend. On his way to Northrend he went missing yet again. Little is known about Brann’s second disappearance other than the fact that he was headed towards the continent of Northrend to investigate his brother Muradin’s death. It is possible that the guild lost track of him while he was in the South Seas. Unbeknownst to the Guild, he had finally made it to Northrend safely. While there, he mapped out Northrend and befriended, or carefully researched, tuskarrs, furbolg, blue dragons, murlocs, magnataur, and others. While in Northrend, Brann used a document and scourge artifacts he had bought in Gadgetzan, which allowed him passage into the Sundered Monolith, a city still held by the living nerubians. He was able to befriend a few surviving nerubians, and learned much about their history. After his journey he sent his second report (which he titled Lands of Mystery) back to his brother and the Explorer's Guild. More travels After his initial journey he continued his travels around the world returning to areas he had previously explored, in order to interview members of various races of the world, for a book he was thinking of writing. He was thinking of writing a history (sociology? political science? He hadn't really decided) book for school rooms. He put together some of his notes and working drafts concerning the history and culture of each of the Alliance and Horde races, as well as those of furbolgs, Wildhammer dwarves, forest trolls, ogres, and other independent races. Recently he has sent these notes and drafts to Ironforge, which includes articles on the history and current state of affairs of the Horde and Alliance and other independent organizations (which can be found in the Alliance Player's Guide, Horde Player's Guide and Dark Factions). Around the time he began writing notes for Horde Player's Guide he began to hear rumors of the Twilight's Hammer waiting for C'Thun to rise behind the Scarab Wall in the ancient city of Ahn'Qiraj. It was likely around this time he received his pet ape, Glibb, and went back to the southwestern most wastes of Silithus to investigate the rumors (likely the combined discoveries of nerubians, a branch of the aqir race and therefore related to the silithid, as well as learning about the Old God C'Thun and the qiraji from members of the Cenarion Circle, and information regarding a battle between the old god and a titan). He then set up camp with an expedition in southern Silithus in order to find a way past the Scarab Wall. While he had been to the Scarab Wall previously he had never found a way in. He discovered a silithid tunnel leading into the ancient city of Ahn'Qiraj. Most of his expedition had been killed, and he soon went missing again. He was alone and without his monkey. However, he escaped, leaving Glibb behind, and continued writing notes for his school book. By the time he started on the Dark Factions notes, the Bronze Dragonflight had helped a group of adventurers reconstruct the Scepter of the Shifting Sands, and the gates of Ahn'Qiraj had been opened . Adventurers had just begun to travel into the city in order to defeat C'thun before he emerges to devastate Azeroth. During his research for the schoolbook, he was thinking of heading to Outland, perhaps after he finished the book. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King According to statements made by Chris Metzen at the Blizzcon 2007 lore panel Brann Bronzebeard will appear in World of Warcraft's second expansion and will play a large part in the Alliance campaign in Northrend. This will be the first time that Brann will actually be seen in a Warcraft computer game.http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/08/04/blizzcon-day-2-wow-lore-and-quests-panel-liveblog/ Brann appears inside the Halls of Stone in Ulduar, the Titan city in Storm Peaks. He is involved in the escort quest in the Tribunal of Ages. See also * Brann Goes missing in Stranglethorn Vale * Journey of Brann * Journal of Brann * Quest:Brann Bronzebeard's Lost Letter Books Along his journeys around the world he has chronicled his adventures and accumulated knowledge in five known volumes so far: his journal, two books known as Lands of Conflict and Lands of Mystery, and notes for a book he is writing which could be found in Alliance Player's Guide, Horde Player's Guide and Dark Factions, which he sent to his brother Magni Bronzebeard and the Explorers' League at various times during his journey. Quotes In the Halls of Stone: Greeting: * "The answers are here. I can feel it." * "Know the forgotten knowledge is within our grasp." * "You'll find me wherever the action is." When a hostile creature dies: * "Now that's owning your supper!" * "Press on, that's the way!" * "Keep it up now. Plenty of death-dealing for everyone!" When a player dies: * "I'm doing everything I can!" * "Light preserve you!" * "I hope this is all worth it!" When Brann is low on health: * "My old (Needs to be added) are busted up. Might not... make it..." When players fail to successfully escort Brann: * "Not yet, not... yet-" Start of the Escort: * "Time to get some answers! Let's get this show on the road!" When Sjonnir is defeated: * "Loken?! That's downright bothersome... We might've neutralized the iron dwarves, but I'd lay odds there's another machine somewhere else churnin' out a whole mess o' these iron vrykul!" * "I'll use the forge to make badtches o' earthen to stand guard... But our greatest challenge still remains: find and stop Loken!" Arriving at the Tribunal: * "Take a moment and relish this with me. Soon... all will be revealed. Okay then, let's do this!" Interacting with the panel: * "Now keep an eye out! I'll have this licked in two shakes of a--" * "Oh, that doesn't sound good. We might have a complication or two..." * "Ah, you want to play hardball, eh? That's just my game!" * "Couple more minutes and I'll--" * "Heightened? What's the good news?" * "So that was the problem? Now I'm makin' progress... * "Hang on! Nobody's gonna' be sanitized as long as I have a say in it!" * "Ha! The old magic fingers finally won through! Now let's get down to--" * "Purge? No no no no no! Where did I-- Aha, This should do the trick..." When creatures get spawned: Iron dwarf: * "Don't worry. Old Brann has got your back. Keep that metal monstrosity busy and I'll see if I can (Needs to be added) this machine into helping you." Trogg: * ": This is a wee bit trickier that before... Oh, bloody--incomin'!" Ooze: * "What in the name o' Madoran did THAT do? Oh! Wait: I just about got it..." Earthen: * "Ha, that did it. Help's a-coming. Take this you glow-eying brute!" End of the Escort: * "Query? What do you think I'm here for, Tea and biscuits? Spill the beans already!" * "Tell me how the dwarves came to be, and start at the beginning!" * "Right, right... I know the earthen were made from stone to shape the deep regions o' the world. But what about the anomalies? Matrix non-stabilizin' and what-not?" * "Necrowhatinthe-- Speak bloody Common will ye?" * "Old Gods, huh? So they zapped the Earthen with this Curse of Flesh... and then what?" * "If they killed the Old Gods, Azeroth would've been destroyed..." * "What protectors?" * "Aesir and Vanir... Okay, so the Forge o' Wills started makin' new earthen... but what happened to the old ones?" * "Hold everything! The Aesir and Vanir went to war? Why?" * "This "Loken" sounds like a nasty character. Glad we don't have to worry about the likes o' him anymore. So... if I'm understandin' ye right, the original earthen eventually woke up from this statis, and by that time the destabili-whatever had turned 'em into proper dwarves. Or at least... dwarf ancestors." * "Well, now... that's a lot to digest. I'm gonna need some time to take all of this in. Thank ye." Farewell: * "Travel safe." * "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." * "Keeps your eyes on the horizon." * "The truth is out there." (A reference to the X-files) Notes *He was first mentioned in Warcraft III by his brother Muradin as part of Muradin's click dialogue, "My younger brother Brann is a renowned explorer." *Brann is not afraid of much, but one thing that he does not like much is water. "I’m never comfortable out on the water — not too many years ago I lost a good friend to a seawolf — but sometimes it’s a necessary evil in order to make good time from one harbor to another." *Brann describes a trip where he was traveling near the Dark Portal when suddenly he came down with a sickness. He was found by a hermit who took Brann on a kodo back to his hut. The hermit said that he was writing a magic spell on seven scrolls that would open a magic portal to the “land of green” but Brann thought he was crazy. It is not known what this "land of green" was/is. *He began writing a journal while visiting the Eastern Kingdoms. *His first set of books (Lands of Conflict and Lands of Mystery) was finished shortly before the start of the events of World of Warcraft, setting it between 3-4 years after The Frozen Throne, approximately. *The notes & drafts for his second set of books (Alliance Player's Guide, Horde Player's Guide, and Dark Factions) were written between the timeframe of World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade. Setting it between 4-5 years after The Frozen Throne. *He wrote a letter during his brief exploration of Ahn'Qiraj, which was lost in the silithid tunnels he was exploring. *In the books many of the events of World of Warcraft have not yet occurred. Some examples include the fact that Katrana Prestor is still in charge of Stormwind, and Nefarion and the Blackrock orcs are still holding Blackrock Spire. He never mentions having entered Ahn'Qiraj, but the gates have recently opened and adventurers are trying to defeat C'Thun (Dark Factions). *Despite the fact that Brann would have already had to have entered Ahn'Qiraj before the gates opened, he never mentions this fact, nor does he ever bring up Glibb in his books. *Brann's encampment, with two fellow expeditioners and his monkey, can be found in the south of Silithus. *At one time, he possessed the base of - the only piece of a total of 42 not held by Kel'Thuzad or his minions. Knowing that the lich would stop at nothing to retrieve that final piece of one of the most powerful weapons on Azeroth, it seems that Brann hid the base with the remains of the Old God C'Thun deep within the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj (or he merely lost it). *From Brann's POV he rarely ever considers himself lost. *It is believed that Brann cleaned out the mines of Uldaman long ago. However since then Dark Iron dwarves have returned. *Recently, on a venture to Northrend to finish what his brother Muradin started, an avalanche forced Brann into a cave. Heroes lead a rescue party, battling nerubians and the Lich King's forces to free the prospector. Surprisingly Brann seems to have befriended some Earthen that are currently defending him. Items * * Category:Dwarves Category:Lore characters Category:Major characters Category:Explorers' League Category:Wrath of the Lich King